Method of separating metals from quartz or gangue



(Specimens.)

G. SWEANOR.

METHOD 0T SBPARATING METAL FROM QUARTZ 0R GANGUE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE SVEANOR, OF KINGSTON, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

METHOD OE SEPARATING METALS FROM QU-ARTZ OR GANGUE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,504, dated July 24,1888.

Application tiled May 16, 1887.

To all whom t may concern.:

Beit known that I, GEORGE SWEANOR, a citizen ofthe United States,residing in the town of Kingston, county of Sierra, Territory of NewMexico, have discovered a certain new and useful Method of SeparatingMetals from Quartz or Gangue, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

I have discovered that when tinely-pulver ized quartz containing metalis placed in a vessel containing waterand aliquid which isinsoluble inwater, and which is also ot' agreater density than water, but ot' lessdensity than the quartz or gangue, the quartz, although of greaterdensity than the insoluble liquid, will float on the surface of theinsoluble liquid at the bottom of the water, while whatever metal waspreviously mixed with the quartz precipitates through the insolubleliquid to the bottom of the vessel. lt is obvious to those skilled inthe art to which this discovery relates that, the discovery of thisprinciple being disclosed, its application to practical use may l bemade by many different apparatuses, and that many different liquids ofthe character specified may be employed-such as carbonbisulphide,chloroform, oil of cloves, and numerous others-which will readilysuggest themselves to the skilled chemist, and therefore I do not intendto limit myself to any of the liquids herein named, but intend to extendthe scope of the invention to any known liquid having thecharacteristics set forth.

On the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan ofone form of apparatuswhich may be used for effecting my discovery; and Fig. 2 a longitudinalsection thereof on line l 1 in Fig. 1, like letters of referencedenotinglike parts in both figures.

a represents a suitablyshapcd vessel containing a liquid, b, which isinsoluble in water.

c is a chute, down which the crushed quartz d, mixed with water, fallsinto the vessel a,

Serial No. 238,313. (Specimens.)

where it floats on the surface of the insoluble liquid b, the metal eprecipitating (as shown by dots in Fig. 2) from the quartz d to thebottom of the vessel a. As the process is continued, the quartz b,deprived ot' its metal, may be caused to flow over thc top ot' thevessel a and down the chute f into a second vessel, g, also containingan insolubleliquid,1),on which the quartz tlc-ats, so that any metalthat has not precipitated from the quartz while passing over the surfaceof the insoluble liquid bin thc vessel a is at length precipitatedthrough the insoluble liquid b to the bottom of the vesselg.

If desired, any number of vessels containing the liquid may be used inthe separation of the metals from their ores.

Any liquid insoluble in water and of greater density than water, but ofless density than the quartz or gangue, can be used for carrying thisdiscovery into effect, and the liquid having these properties which Iprefer to use is carbon-bisulphide.

Vhat I claim to have discovered, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The herein described method of separating metals from crushed quartz organgue, which consists in discharging crushed quartz containing metalinto a vessel containing water and a liquid insoluble in water and ot'greater density than water, but ofless density than the quartz organgue, whereby the crushed quartz will remain in and pass olf with thewater, whereas the metal will pass through the liquid (insoluble inwater and of greater density than water) to the bottom of the vessel,subst-air tially as described.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature, in presenccot" two witnesses,this 12th dayofMay, 1887.

GEORGE SWEANOR.

XVitnesses:

S. L. SoHRADEu, EDWIN SAUTER.

